Only time will tell
by xobroken-wingxo
Summary: Years after Dani's father has passed she has shut everyone off from her life and has made herself believe that she does not deserve love. She has closed herself out from the world and anything that has to do with friendships or relationships. Can the help
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! I hope that you guys enjoy reading this story! Any suggestions, comments or questions are welcomed! Review if you would like! Thanks! 3

Wonderwall-xoxo

Dani's POV

So today is the day of my 23 birthday and what am I doing to celebrate? Absolutely nothing. I would go out and have a nice dinner with friends that I've known since I was 8, then we would probably want a little alcohol in our system so we would head on down to the local bar that we've been going to since we were 16, drink ourselves crazy and then eventually take our drunk selves to my apartment because we all know we wouldn't make it anywhere else alive and crash there until morning. We would then wake up the day after my wild birthday night screaming for some aspirin to make the pain go away and go out to eat brunch because we skipped breakfast. I would then excuse myself to the bathroom to sneak out and try to go home and get dressed because I totally forgot about the late lunch that I was supposed to have with my mom and girlfriend of four years. My girlfriend will probably get there late because she's fashionably conscious. So I'll use that time to talk to my mom about proposing to her. Then she'll scream and hug and kiss my cheeks over and over exclaiming that she was 'waiting for the moment I would ask'. She will then dig into her Chanel purse that I bought her last Christmas and pull out my grandmas old wedding ring she left behind for me when I get married. Then I'll start to tear up and she'll start to tear up, causing us to be a blubbering mess until my girlfriend arrives.

That cute little story could happen if only I actually had any friends. I have a cousin Quinn who I'm kind of close to if that counts. I hate birthdays. Their just another day of the year to make you realize you're a couples years away from dying. Society puts all this pressure on young people today. You must go out and have fun with your friends. You must have an Instagram, twitter or Facebook. I could care-  
"Dani? Are you here?" I hear a voice call. What is she doing here? She knows I never do anything for my birthday.

"We'll if you're not here I'm coming up the stairs...into your room...to bug you on your birthday...which I hope you didn't forget because you never celebrate it!" She yells through my door. I'm not even going to question how she got in.

Years after my dad died I closed everyone out including my mom, she tried getting through to me by sending my grandpa down to cheer me up. It didn't work. The craziness of Quinn's crying and hugging didn't do the trick. So she gave my emergency house key, which was meant for her in a time of crisis, to my only friend Rachel. If I could even call her a friend. We have a weird relationship...well that's not exactly true. She calls what we have a normal friendship but me, I disagree.  
Whenever Rachel decides to come over she feels the need to try and entertain me. She's always singing and I'm always not listening. To hell with her singing! It drives me fucking insane! She's an inspiring actress trying to make it on Broadway. Believe me when I say the girl will make it, she never shuts up and believes she's the best at everything. She's perfect for almost every role; they'll never have someone too scared to do anything. She wants the fame.

She quietly twists the door knob just in case I'm sleeping. She walks in and gasps, not expecting me to wide awake and looking fully functional.

"You're awake? I thought you would have been dead to the world" she excitedly says sitting on my bed making it loudly creek. The bed is pretty old, I've had it since I was 15 and I don't plan on giving it up until someone makes me.

"You know they sell cheap and slightly used beds at goodwill?" I ignore her attempt at a joke that is used to persuade me to get rid of my bed. The bed will not go. Rachel on the other hand…

"Rach they have doors for a reason. Entering and exiting, so in your case since you have now entered uninvited may I add, you can now exit. And no not at any time, right now would be good" I say getting up off my bed, which was extremely comfortable by the way, to walk into my bathroom. I was raised to be presentable when guests are over, although Rachel isn't really a guest. More like an unwanted intruder. Old habits never die hard I guess.. I walked into my bathroom and take a look in the mirror…if I actually had one. I hate mirrors! I hate looking in them, walking pass them or evening talking about them. My mom, Rachel and Quinn all think I'm crazy because I don't have a mirror. They all question how I get ready in the mornings, how I manage to do my makeup without looking like a clown or countless other stupid questions and I reply the same. 'It's just easier to not see'.

"You know considering I'm your only friend besides Carla from Starbucks, you should be nicer to me. You're so beautiful Danielle! If only you would let me set you up on blind dates! It would be perfect-"

"Don't call me Danielle, Rachel". I say lowly. I know she heard me because I heard the squeaking of my bed shift from excited squeaking to awkward, should I leave squeaking. She knows that I don't let anyone call me Danielle. I haven't gone by Danielle since I was about 9.

I walk out of my bathroom into my room, heading over to my drawers to grab some clothes to change into. Completely ignoring Rachel, I change in front of her deciding that if she wanted to leave she could but this is my room and my house. She'll end up going into my living room to watch TV until my mom comes over which will be in about 20 minutes. I walk back into my bathroom and tie my hair up into a ponytail. I'm getting pretty tired of the blonde hair, not that I can see it anyways. It's a constant battle with me struggling to see or even think if I will even look remotely presentable with any color of hair. Rachel and Quinn think I look good with blonde. I care what they think, I'm just too proud to say it out loud.

There's a loud knocking at my door, I know it's not my mom, she never knocks because she calls two minutes before she arrives telling me to unlock her door because she knows I won't help with anything she brings into the house.

"I'll get it" Rachel screams. As if I couldn't hear her already. "Hey San!" she excitedly screeches. What is she doing here? Is it three o'clock already? I go over to my night stand to check to the time. Shit! Two-fifty five, I'm shocked that she actually arrived on time, she never gets anywhere on time. She goes by her Lima heights time, on time or fashionably late! They latter for her. I hear giggling getting closer towards my room and I stand still knowing who will burst through my door any moment. The door knob twists and I eye it.

"DANI!" she screams running towards me with the door flying behind her, looking like it was in a race with her. I bend down on my knees with my arms wide open. "I missed you! Did you know that today was your birthday?" I giggle quietly knowing that, that innocent question warmed my heart. Anything she says warms my heart because let's face it, I'm in love with her mom and she's apart of her mom.

I pinch her nose softly and hug her even tighter. "I sure did munchkin. But you know now that you're here my birthday is even better-" quiet footsteps end my sentence.

"Lydia are you bothering the birthday girl? And hey I thought that I would have made your birthday better Dan.."

"Nope momma! I promise, she was waiting for me with her arms open really really wide!" she explains animatedly with her big-green brown orbs widening and arms spread as far as they can.

"Hey Santana" I say softly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for being gone for so long. It won't happen again! Enjoy! **

Dani's POV

"Dani! Guess what momma helped me pick out for you as a birthday gift? You're never gonna guess 'cause I got it from your favorite place ever to shop! You go there every Saturday!" Lydi or munchkin, as I call her, yells over the soft classical punk rock music playing, while we're all sitting in my living room. Child innocence is so cute, well on this 6 year old it is. She never fails to brighten my day or keep me going from day to day. Well that and the fact that she lives next door, conveniently her room is directly next to mine. It's quite amusing and calming to hear the ridiculous requests she asks Santana. Not that Santana can say no, Lydia has free range to do and say anything she wants with those green-brown orbs of hers.

"Mija you're gonna ruin the surprise!" Santana says laughing knowing that Lydi can't keep a secret even if she had knife held to her throat. She had a bit of blabber mouth, it almost sounds like someone I know.

Santana comes to join me on the couch, dropping down between me and Rachel, who is sitting about as far away from me as Florida and California. She hasn't said a word to me since everyone sung happy birthday, I doubt that she's still bitter about me telling her not to call me Danielle. At least I don't think so. It's really none of my concern, I mean it's my fucking birthday I can cry if I want to. Well in this case quietly demand her not to say something. There are about three more open seats and Santana chose to sit next me. Imagine the beat of my heart!

"So Dan are we going out the strip club tonight?" she says loud enough for my mother to hear and have a heart attack.

I giggle quietly knowing that my mother will pop her head in to disagree. My mother is against all things provocative and violent. Total opposite of me. She still doesn't even know that I'm a lesbian, neither do I plan on telling her. The fact that I'm 23 years old and I don't have the balls to tell my mother, who can no longer tell me what to do, that I'm gay is completely stupid. She adores Santana, so I have no way of seeing how she would react to me having feelings for her, I mean the lady loves Ellen!

"Santana Lopez! No daughter of mine is going to a strip club. I don't care how old you get Danielle!" My mom yells from the kitchen. The lady has ears like a hawk. You can't even sneeze in peace without her muttering a 'bless you'. I'm about to yell back at her not to call me Danielle but it will be useless because she'll ignore it like she usually does.

"Momma, what's a strip club? Can I go with you and Dani since it's her birthday?" says Lydia excitedly to Santana.

"Not until you're 18" we both say. It's quite amusing how we think the same. We've known each other for give or take 3 to 4 years now and it's almost like we've know each other our whole lives. Call me crazy in love but I want to know and be with her for the rest of our lives. Not that I'll ever get to be with her, it's not like she's gay or anything. No one wants to hear the sob story of a girl who is hopelessly in love with another girl who turns out to be straight. So I'll save you the 'I want her but she doesn't want me' story. It's cliché and tiredly overstated. One day I hope to tell Santana that she owns my heart and is the constant reminder of why I have sleep insomnia. Of course that day will be when were both lying on our death beds, with a mask over our faces uttering out last breaths. But until then, I'll put on my big girl shoes and be the heterosexual my mother wants me to be.

I hear my mother call out for Lydi's help in the kitchen. This is nothing new, one day I predict that Lydia will be as wide as the width of my kitchen door because of all the food she consumes under the mercy of my mom. I feel Santana lean her head on my shoulder and sigh. Good sigh or bad sigh, I'll never know nor ask. She always does little things like this. That touchy-feely type stuff and I love it and hate it at the same time, I'm barely figuring out my feelings for her. I'll never admit that out loud because I would one, be an idiot and two, I can at lease create a little fantasy in my head about how we're together and she's leaning her head on my shoulder because it's a sign that she's ready to leave and go home to make sweet love. Well in my head this all sounds good.

"What sounds good D?" Santana asks. I feel my cheeks blush and I'm about to mutter a stupid answer when Rachel stands up and starts to speak. Nothing new.

"Well as fun as this…silent yet calming birthday celebration is Dani, I have somewhere to be, so I will see you guys soon. Don't forget to call if you need a ride to the diner and open my birthday present." Well I guess she wasn't all hung up on the earlier interaction. I watch her walk towards the kitchen to say goodbye to my mother and Lydia.

"So it's just you and me Dan? You know I'm starting to think the universe is telling me something". What the hell could the universe be telling her?, besides the fact that being my friend was a decision gone wrong since I hardly leave the confines of my bedroom, I don't have any type of mirror or reflection type of device of any sort in my apartment and I'm a total "mood killer".

"What could the universe be telling you Santana?"

"You know you're the only person to call me Santana even though we've known each other for years now? It's okay to call me San or whatever nickname you want". She's so cute, she thinks I don't have any special nicknames that I call her. I have nicknames for her, just names that I could never utter out of my mouth. I'm saved when Rachel walks towards the door to leave with Lydia trailing behind her. She walks up to the arm of the couch Santana and I are sitting on.

"I decided I'm going to the strip club with you and momma Dani". This kid is hilarious. The dull tone at the end of that was intentional.

"Oh yeah and how and why did you decide this?" Santana asks.

"Well Rachel said-"

"Bye you guys! Have a great rest of your birthday Dani". She briskly walks out of the door. Well there goes my suspicion about Rachel having anything to do with Lydia wanting to go to the strip club. My mom comes out the kitchen drying her hands. She's leaving.

"Okay Danielle, I'm leaving, your grandmother will be arriving at the airport soon so I want to get there before she exits the wrong way. Call me in the morning and I love you". She says while giving kisses on the cheek to everyone and me last, before making her way out the door. Well two down, two more to go. I get up to turn off the music playing and I turn on the TV to entertain Lydi. I take a glance at my living room to see that it doesn't even seem like a birthday celebration was even hear. Partially because I had to remind my mother and Rachel not to decorate my house in colorful balloons or any type of shit like that. This proved to be physically challenging for Rachel, as she never liked to do things half way. Bless the future off spring she produces. Well, there is a plus side to all of this, less cleaning up for me to do.

"Hellooo earth to Dani!" I hear Santana say. How long was I spaced out?

"For about five minutes missy, which is rude considering I'm guest". Haha, she's not guest. She hasn't been a guest since the day she knocked on my door at 3:14 in the morning asking if I had any milk that I could spare because her 2 year old baby would not stop crying. I remember everything about that day. I remember how stressed out Santana was-

"Ummm why are you referring to me in third person and telling me this?" she asks. Am I really saying all of my thoughts out loud?

"Yes you are weirdo. You've been doing it all night. Did you sniff a little something before I came over Dan? Ohh you naughty girl! What ever will momma Harper think?" she smirks while sauntering over towards me. Is it called sauntering when you walk slowly while strutting? Because that's what she's doing…right now. I gulp loudly and start to speak but of course I get interrupted.

"Dan dan, when are you gonna open your presents? You didn't even open them when everybody was here, that's what your 'posed to do at birthday parties" I look over towards the gift table, which is really just my bed side table with a cloth over it. There are five presents on it. Two from my mom, one from Rachel, one from Lydia and one from Santana, which I'll open last because I just want to.

"When would you like for me to open them munchkin?"

"Now! Open 'em now!" Santana and I walk towards the table carrying two gifts each back to the couch.

Two hideous sweaters that will never see daylight from the darkness of my closet and 50 dollar gift card to old navy later, I pick up all the wrappings and garbage to throw them away. Well the presents weren't all the disappointing. I'm able to return two of them and splurge on one. I look at the fourth present sitting the table. Wrapped in pink wrapping with a bow sloppily settled near the side of the square shaped box, I reach towards it and shake.

"Momma told me you would do that I stuffed the box with wrapping paper!" the kid is too smart for her own good. I giggle loudly, while glancing out the side of my eye to see Santana smiling at me. She would do that. She knows how nosey I am. I turn to look at her while sticking out my tongue. The comfort level has risen.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm extremely grateful that you guys are warming up to the story! Hopefully I don't lose you guys because of how vague everything seems or if it seems as though you can't figure out the plot. It's intentional. I don't want this story to be like every other fanfic, where you're able to figure out what going to happen in the next chapter. This chapter will be a little short. I want to continue this story so if you guys have any ideas or suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. I'm just stuck! ;) So I won't waste your time! Enjoy reading! Thanks in advance for opinions and ideas! I love them all! **

Dani's POV

Santana and Lydi left about two hours ago. I'm relieved yet beginning to feel the burning weights of loneliness. There are days where I want nothing but to be left alone by everyone including Santana. I can't deal with myself so why should anyone else have too. Then come the days where I'm longing for her presence and her everything more often than not. I can't seem to grasp the fact that the one person who I believe is worth dying for has nothing but the title of 'best friend'.

I'm sitting in the same spot that I have been sitting in for the last two hours. I should get up but my thoughts are consuming me, preventing me from leaving my current position. I want badly to flip on the news to see what else is new that they have to say about me. What other thing could they destroy about me and my whole life. I want to torture myself with the hate and lies that they spew at me but I decide not to because I'll end up on the same road I was on months ago. I choose to self-loath periodically and in peace because I hate the looks I receive from Rachel after she's done cleaning up my mess. I'm just tired of her cleaning up my mess. She's always here and helping me and being kind. I want to hate her for it, but god knows that if she were to ever leave me to handle my problems in silence I wouldn't make it to the next day. I hate the pity look I receive from Santana because of how badly she wants to help me. She wants to pick my brain but I won't move an inch to let her in. if she understood why I did half the things I did, she wouldn't love me like I love her.

The thing that surprises me most is how they haven't found out where I was yet. They manage to find out everything else about my life and what I'm doing or better yet who I'm doing. They manage to destroy everything yet they can't seem to figure out where I've disappeared to. I'm surprised they haven't figured out that I'm working in the diner or someone hasn't screamed out my name in shock yet. Maybe I'm just too much of a mainstream artist for them. I glance over towards the coffee table in front of me to see two Starbucks gift cards and a huge teddy bear with a tiny shirt that says '_from your favorite Lydi'_, on the front with what looks like sloppy handwriting from Lydia in purple permanent marker, her favorite color, I know because she never lets me forget. Honestly I can't stop staring at the shirt, it looks like the bears stomach is gonna inhale the t-shirt whole! I giggle at my ridiculous thoughts and plan to move some pictures around on my dresser in my room for the bear to sit. It's new home. She's the first six year-old I know to give gift cards for someone's birthday, it's always the other way around. It was probably Santana's idea, her idea for last minute is literally last minute. So I have no doubt that Lydia did these two seconds before she knocked on my door. A medium sized rectangle red and pink box is sitting on the edge of the coffee table ready to be opened. I stare at the neatly wrapped gift that's thoughtfully wrapped in my favorite two colors, Santana has the ability to leave me speechless and feel somewhat worthy of any recognition all in one. The amount of time that I'm taking to actually open this gift is remarkable, my normally impatient trait would be shining through a few years back but now I dread the day where any spotlight is shed on me. It doesn't explain why I'm-

'_buzz buzz'_

I grab my phone from out of my back pocket to see that I have new message. I'm thankfully happy for iPhone's, long gone are the days where you guess what the text message would have said, now it just shows up on the screen. I slide my finger across the screen to read the text.

_From Santana: 8:24 p.m._

_Can you open the gift already? Geez Dan I don't even have to be in your presence to know that you haven't even attempted to open my gift. Do it now! Love ya lots! :*_

I giggle at how much of an open book I am to her despite my efforts to keep her from reading my mind. I don't know what I'm expecting the gift to be, for Christ sakes it's just a gift but I just somehow want it to unexplainable. I grab the gift and shake just to make sure that it's nothing that I could accidently break because I am accident-prone. I hear some soft movement within the box, so I gently tear the wrapping so that I could save it. Okay am I slightly obsessed with the woman, yes but can you blame me? The woman is gorgeous I say, it's a curse that someone is that gorgeous and is not married with tons of thousands of kids because her husband can't keep his hand off her. I cringe at how grateful I am that I was not graced with an appendage so useful I guess. I pull a rectangular sized box from the wrapping, successfully not destroying it, noticing that it looked so familiar, almost like I had seen it before or maybe touched it before. It was thin in width and a tan almost medium brown color with little scratches hidden within the multicolored brown box. It has a small faded square sitting on the front of the box, I believe a mirror was there. She took it off for me. It looks like she had this for a while, not that I mind, anything from Santana is like silk and gold. I open the box to see a piece of white paper fall out but not before the gift catches my eye. Without even taking the object out I already know what it is.


End file.
